“Then, as they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who stood there to meet them. And they said to them, “Let the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.” So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.””
Exodus 5:20-23 NKJV
I know that you probably don’t want to hear about roach baits today; but hear me out.
Different companies make roach baits. These baits have some irresistible delicacy (to the senses of a roach) mixed with a potent roach killer. The way these work is that the roach is attracted to the bait, eats the bait, also taking some of it back to the nest. Ant baits work much the same, actually working even more quickly as ants are such tireless workers.
Now, on the ones I have used (as much as I love animals of all sorts, insects cannot share my home), there is a disclaimer saying that there may seem to be more roach/ant activity when you put out the bait. But given time, it will work the way it is meant to work.
Here’s another scenario: Anybody who has ever had a knee or hip replacement knows that they went from bad to worse quickly after the replacement was implanted. So, there is generally a period of time when the surgery is regretted. However, given time for healing and therapy, there is often great pain relief.
I have known people who had wounds where the surface had healed over but the inner part was not healed and contained infection. The remedy was to totally expose the wound again, making it look(and feel) worse. But given time, it healed as it was supposed to heal.
Now, what do roach baits, joint replacements, and scraping out infected wounds all have in common? As you have probably already supposed, they all present a scenario wherein things look worse, but GIVEN TIME, get better. If any of these remedies had been rated early on in the process, their rating would not have been very good.
Further, we see examples in the Bible of people who, after being anointed to be king, went through an intense period of assault and struggle (ask David about this).
We also see people who, having received a promise from the Lord, are first met with a move in the “wrong” direction (ask Joseph about that).
Today we find Moses, having just been assured by the Lord that he has been sent to deliver God’s people, facing the anger of people whose situation is suddenly much worse because of Moses’ intervention.
We will later learn that the Lord has allowed circumstances to harden Pharaoh’s heart so that the plagues would come on the Egyptians, proving the preeminence of the God of the Hebrews over the gods of Egypt.
As well, consider prophetic passages referencing the fact that in the end times the Lord will actually allow the gathering of all nations against Israel, so that they may be dealt with (and I mean DEALT WITH) in one fell swoop.
“For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land.”
Joel 3:1-2 NKJV
“Then the Lord will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.”
Zechariah 14:3-4 NKJV
Given, we don’t have a full understanding of how everything works. But the Lord does. If He has said He will do something, He will do it. It just may not follow our “timeline” to victory, or look the way we would suppose. Indeed, we may see some “scary” things before the word is realized.
Consider this advice from the writer of Hebrew:
“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.”
Hebrews 10:35-36 NLT
For today let us discover what Moses discovered:
Sometimes it seems things are getting worse before the breakthrough.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Mar 20
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 26
“And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” So He let him go. Then she said, “You are a husband of blood!”—because of the circumcision.”
Exodus 4:24-26 NKJV
Let’s face it, there are a lot of folks out there who want rights without the responsibilities that come with them. But, a system where people demand rights, without doing what is right, will collapse under its own weight.
Unfortunately, this tendency to want all the goodies without fulfilling the requirements for the same, does not stop outside the realm of human government.
We know that God is a God of Covenant. We should also know that God never made Covenant with any person or group without putting conditions on receiving the blessings of the Covenant. Indeed, the very nature of a covenantal relationship is that of reciprocity.
As a matter fact, God pointed out that people should not presume to take the word of His promise in their mouths if they are not obeying that same word:
“Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to declare My statutes, Or take My covenant in your mouth, Seeing you hate instruction And cast My words behind you?”
Psalms 50:14-17 NKJV
Sadly, many pastors and teachers preach an unconditional Gospel (the good news of the work done through Jesus Christ: our New Covenant).
Now certainly, salvation is a gift of God, having no limits set in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic level, etc. However, to access that free gift, there must be acceptance of the One Who purchased it.
As well, to walk in the blessings of the New Covenant, there certainly are conditions. Without listing a hosts of scriptures from the New Testament, allow me to offer just a few—from the mouth of Jesus—that should set to rest any notion that the New Covenant has no conditions:
“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
John 14:15-17 NKJV
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”
John 15:13-14 NKJV
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 10:32-33 NKJV
Today we find Moses in quite a predicament. Apparently, he has somehow transgressed the Covenant of God and is about to be taken out by the Lord. Now, this is a very enigmatic couple of scriptures, seemingly dropped into the narrative about Moses returning to Egypt. Many people—in trying to make sense of it—have come up with some farfetched notions as to what is being referenced here. I would say that a better approach to understand it is working backwards.
If the circumcision of the son of Moses took away the anger of the Lord, then the anger was over the fact that the son was not circumcised. It seems to be that simple. (Additionally, some think that the life being threatened was of the son of Moses and not Moses himself; but we need not try to make that distinction here.) You see, the Abrahamic Covenant had a very clear condition concerning circumcision:
“He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”
Genesis 17:13-14 NKJV
Bear in mind, God is sending Moses to represent him to the court of Pharaoh and also to the Hebrews in Egypt. Before he arrived there, God wanted all the “loose ends” to be taken care of. Moses needed to truly exemplify the Covenant of God. Indeed, it was because of God’s Covenant with His people that He was about to bring them out of the bondage of Egypt!
What happened to Moses here is definitely a cautionary tale for those inclined to take God’s Covenants lightly.
For today let us discover what Moses discovered:
There are conditions attached to the blessings of covenant.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Mar 19
- 4 min read
“So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”
Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.”
Exodus 4:2, 20 NKJV
It’s human nature; we want to control our own stuff. But allow me to present a scenario.
Suppose you had any kind of greatly loved and valued possession; let’s say it’s a family heirloom grandfather clock. Now let’s imagine that the grandfather clock is seized up and nothing is working. You’re no longer hearing the beautiful chimes and the time on it is stuck at 7:25. Would you set out to try to repair the grandfather clock, having no experience in this sort of repair? Of course not! You would find someone trained to fix vintage grandfather clocks and submit it to their care, knowing they can do what you can’t do. Here, because you know that this thing you value needs help you can’t provide, you relinquish it into the hands of someone who can do what you can’t do.
Now let’s take it up to a whole new level: Let’s say your child has something terribly wrong with them and they need surgery to save their life. Would you set in to try to do that surgery? Or would you submit their care to a trained surgeon to do what needs to be done? Of course, we all know the answer to that. Because you have no ability to help someone you love, here too, you relinquish that person into the hands of someone who can do what you cannot, dare not, do.
Now—in light of these two examples—we might then wonder why it is so difficult for us to put what is our stuff, or pertaining to our own lives, into the hand of the Lord? Is He not the creator of all things and therefore the expert on . . . EVERYTHING? Can he not do for you what you cannot do for yourself? Isn’t that what He has already done in becoming the perfect sacrifice to take away our permanent sin stain?
If you ever went to Sunday school for any length of time, you have heard the story of the little boy who gave Jesus five loaves and two fish with which Jesus fed 5000 men (if the women and children were included, you can see how that number would be increased geometrically).
“There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.”
John 6:9, 11 NKJV
Now, this little boy could have just eaten his lunch. Indeed, he would’ve had every right to do so. Yet, this little boy—taking what was rightfully his and placing it in the hands of the Master—supplied food for a multitude! And, I would imagine he got the lion’s share of the 12 baskets of leftover bread fragments.
Your stuff is yours and you are free to do with it as you please. Indeed, the Lord won’t wrestle anything from your hands.
But consider, those things in your life that remain unsubmitted to the Lord, can only prosper according to your ability—or lack of the same. But, when you submit your life and your stuff to the Lord, it becomes His. And when it becomes His, it is now operating according to His power and is subject to His protection, care, and keeping. In this way, God’s unlimited ability and fathomless resources come to bear as your stuff becomes His stuff.
Jesus—in speaking of His personal sacrifice—said something that can also be applied to anything we put in His hands:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
John 12:24-25 NKJV
In today’s opening scripture we find Moses still in the midst of his first encounter with God. And he is still questioning what he will do to be able to prove to the people that he was sent by the Lord.
The Lord points Moses to the rod that was in his own hand. And that ordinary rod came to do extraordinary things in the court of Pharaoh and beyond. How did this come to be?
Let’s consider the difference between the first verse in our opening scripture (Exodus 4:2) and the next verse (Exodus 4:20). Notice, the rod started out as Moses’ rod, but then is referenced in verse 20 as “the rod of God in his hand.” Yes, this is how what began as an ordinary rod would be used to bring great and mighty miracles.
Please know, you can put walls around your life and your stuff, making sure you have complete control. Good “luck” with that; and “luck” will be the only thing you’ll have to depend on. Or, you can submit everything into the hand of the Lord.
Now, we’re not talking about taking a poverty oath, giving all your stuff away, and becoming a monk on a mountain (unless that is what the Lord has called you to do).
What we are promoting here is having the attitude that whatever God asks of your life—or of your stuff—is done.
For today let us discover what Moses discovered:
Your stuff—submitted to God—becomes God’s stuff.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!